24 April 2020

AFROTEQ ACADEMY TAKES SPECIALIST FM COURSES ONLINE

Submitted by: Monique Holtzhausen
AFROTEQ ACADEMY TAKES SPECIALIST FM COURSES ONLINE

Afroteq Academy, the SETA and QCTO accredited training division of Afroteq Advisory, a subsidiary company of AFMS Group, has announced that it has made training courses available online in response to the Covid-19 outbreak.

“We recognised the importance of meeting the needs of our learners and industry professionals by helping them navigate the unprecedented changes to daily routines and personal lives brought on by COVID-19. As with everything else in life, great opportunities are often disguised as unexpected challenges. The extended period of lockdown has created the ideal opportunity for Facilities Management (FM) professionals to further their career paths by studying online, working at their own pace, from the comfort of their home or anywhere in the world – making use of the stable, interactive BraineBox online platform,” says Portia Tsakane Mkhabela, Manager at the Afroteq Academy.

Afroteq Academy is an all-inclusive FM training provider and a specialist in the built environment. Accredited by the South African Facilities Management Association (SAFMA), it has gained a well-earned reputation for being one of the country’s leaders in equipping and empowering the FM industry since 2002.

“We are passionate about helping professionals in the FM field and/or built environments grow and reach their full potential. To this end, our range of specialised facilities management qualifications, training programmes and workshops are aligned to the FM ISO 41001:2018 and ISO9001:2015 standards. Our Occupational Certificate in Facilities Management is one of the first to be accredited by the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO). We are excited to build on these successes by making the majority of our material available online and at a specially discounted rate,” Portia explains.

The following courses are now available online: 

  • Modules 1,2, and 7 of the Occupational Certificate: Facilities Management (NQF Level 6)
  • National Certificate: Generic Management: Customer Management (NQF Level 5)
  • Learning Programme: Generic Management: Conflict Management (NQF Level 5)
  • Learning Programme: Generic Management: Disaster Risk Management (NQF Level 5)
  • Short course: Principles and Practices of Facilities Management (NQF Level 4)
  • Short course: Project Management for Facilities Managers (NQF Level 4)
  • Short course: Procurement and Contract Management for Facilities Managers (NQF Level 6) 

One of the reasons for the popularity and success of Afroteq’s courses over the years, is the fact that they are presented by practising facilitators and subject matter experts. These presenters have first-hand experience of the demands in the FM field as they have all held senior management roles in various business portfolios and share the company’s passion for skills development.

“Because we don’t want to take away the benefit of interacting with these facilitators on the FM Qualification programme, there will be selected times when students can login to the system and meet with these industry experts in a real-time webinar. These sessions can be recorded and accessed by students when they want to refer back to what was discussed in the virtual space or to refresh their memories,” Portia clarifies.

Delegates can commence with their online studies at any time for short courses listed above and will be granted access to the platform once payment has been received. They will have one month to complete each module but will have assistance available during this time in the form of video’s, tutorials and online support.  Assessments will also need to be completed and submitted online by certain deadlines. Learners who enrol for the full FM Qualification will be managed differently via live webinars with the facilitator. Communication and coordination will be managed once enrolment has been confirmed.

It is important to stress that these courses are targeted specifically at corporates and industry professionals such as building managers, facilities coordinators, maintenance managers, project managers or technical managers who have an NQF level 4 qualification with English language and a minimum of two years’ FM value chain technical working experience. The subject matter is highly specialised and covers knowledge, practical and workplace modules. Participation requires a secure internet connection with enough data to download the course materials, self-discipline to study alone and a commitment to complete the courses within the allocated time. Where employers are interested in hosting learnership programmes for technical school leavers, Afroteq Academy can also make special arrangements in this regard in order to encourage new entrants in the FM space.

“Facility Management is one of the fastest-growing professions around the world, and so there is a demand for trained and qualified FM Managers. From Afroteq’s side, we are committed to ensuring that our delegates are equipped with everything they need to reach the highest levels in this dynamic, demanding and stimulating field. Our new, online courses are an exciting door that has opened for people to access new skills, knowledge and experience as well as new ways of doing things and to grow their careers in the industry,” Portia concludes.

For more information about Afroteq Academy’s online, onsite or customised corporate training offerings, visit their website at https://www.afroteqacademy.co.za or call 086 099 5396E-mail enquiries can be directed to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Published in Science and Education